46 players selected for preliminary stage

KATHMANDU, Jan 12: The coaching team headed by senior coach Krishna Thapa has submitted a preliminary list of 46 players for the training of AFC Challenge Cup to the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Wednesday.

The ANFA had submitted a list of five dozens footballers on Tuesday on the basis of their performance during the San Miguel Knockout Football Tournament and British Gurkha Cup to the Thapa headed coaching team comprising Upendraman Singh and Meghraj KC.

Sandip Rai and Bharat Khawas were also included in the list despite their absence in the tournaments.

The coaches´ team crossed the names of 14 players from the list given by ANFA, a source said. Each position has four players in the preliminary list.

The initial list consists of highest number of players--nine each--from the British Gurkha Cup winners and runners up, Three Star and Manang Marshyangdi Club. Likewise, seven players from Nepal Police Club, six from Himalayan Sherpa, four from Nepal Army, three from Armed Police Force (APF), two each from New Road Team (NRT) and Jawalakhel Youth Club.

Similarly, defender Rohit Chand and Anil Gurung who are playing professional football in India are included in the preliminary list. According to ANFA vice president, Lalit Krishna Shrestha Chand and Gurung will be called for the training immediately.

The training scheduled to be begin from February 17 is likely to be affected by the Aaha Gold Cup Football Tournament to be held in Pokhara which will begin the following day. The ANFA is set to allow the players to play from their respective clubs.

Full-fledged training will conducted after the completion of Aaha Gold Cup, stated chief coach Thapa. "Many of the selected players will play in the Aaha Cup," said Thapawho is also the coordinator of Aaha organizing and disciplinary committee.

Thapa also said that there won´t be any compromise regarding players discipline this time. "On previous occasions some of the previous players have breached the norms and we did not take it seriously. But players´ indiscipline will not be tolerated this time."

According to ANFA sources, there will be 30 players in the second round selection and few days later the final selection of the players will conducted excluding 10 from them.

The group D of the Challenge Cup is scheduled to be held in the Capital from March 21. Along with hosts Nepal, North Korea, Sri Lanka, and one among Bhutan and Afghanistan are pitted against each other in the group.

Top two teams from the group will qualify for the final stage of the event. The matches will be held in round robin format.